Always a Catch
by budlou
Summary: "You can't trust him with anything. Don't approach him. No personal information whatsoever. Believe me; you don't want this guy inside your head." "What is this, The Silence of the Lambs?"
1. Arrival

Dr. Winona Holland rushed from her taxi, throwing a 10 at the cabbie and trying to find her ID badge in her purse. She found it, flashing it to the security guard at the door, and entered her place of work: Arkham Asylum.

She threw her coat and purse into her locker in the break room and clipped on her badge in her rush to the conference room. The entire asylum was completely on edge that day. The Joker would be arriving for the second time at 8 AM sharp, and everyone had very little time to prepare. Dr. Arkham had set up a meeting for all of the doctors at 7:15, and Winona was almost late. She ran down the hallway, fixed her hair when she reached the door, and entered swiftly.

The conference room was almost full when Winona arrived. She took an empty seat next to Dr. Leeland. They exchanged brief, polite smiles before Dr. Arkham started speaking.

"Good morning, everyone. I assume you all realize why this meeting was called. I would like to discuss who will be treating the Jo-…patient 4479."

The conference room was completely silent. A few hot-shots were smirking, thinking they'd get the job easily, while others were white as a sheet. Dr. Leeland next to her shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Winona simply sat there, not wanting to express any opinion to this statement. She was secretly trying to calm the frantic beating of her heart, hating the uncertainty.

Dr. Arkham took a deep breath and continued. "I have given it a lot of thought and consideration, and I have made my choice. I must remind you that this was a completely thought-out decision, as I have been thinking of this since the patient was re-captured."

Everyone's hearts were racing. Winona dug her nails into her palm subconsciously; hanging on Dr. Arkham's every word. He made eye contact with everyone in the room, building up the suspense even further.

"I'd ask that no arguments start up because of this; we already have a long day ahead of us." He made it so everyone could see him. "Congratulations Dr. Holland, I've decided you will be treating patient 4479."

It was at that moment when all hell broke loose. Several other doctors were outraged, claiming she wasn't as experienced as they were. A few of the other doctors gave her sympathetic looks. Winona hadn't spoken; she just blinked a few times in disbelief.

"Excuse me! Everyone- calm down!" Dr. Arkham ordered.

"Dr. Arkham, are you sure we should allow a _woman _to treat the Joker? Don't you remember what happened with Ms. Quinzel?" Hugo Strange demanded, gaining many outraged looks and exclamations from the women in the room.

"Dr. Quinzel was inexperienced and weak-minded, Dr. Strange. I believe Dr. Holland here can do the job," Dr. Arkham said, with a smile in Winona's direction. "I'd also like to add, Dr. Strange, that the doctors' genders should not in any way have affected my decision."

"Doesn't she need to say yes to treating him in the first place?" Dr. Sinner asked. Several doctors shouted agreements.

"Excuse me… Everyone!" Winona shouted. The room grew quiet. "I accept your offer of treating patient 4479, Dr. Arkham. I'm going to need to prepare myself a little, if you'll excuse me."

Winona exited the conference room and made her way to her office. She felt a mix of nervousness, excitement, and disbelief. Her mouth twisted into a big smile, continuously growing bigger until she started laughing, suddenly thrilled that she was chosen.

She started to notice that a few people in the hallway were giving her strange looks, so she quieted her laughter. She entered the office with the file records, spending a few minutes to look for 4479's folder. Once she found it, she raced to her office to examine it.

The file started out like any other file would. It contained basic information (name, age, known illnesses, etc.), most of which were listed as unknown. Dr. Quinzel's first notes were actually very informative. They told of how the patient avoided answering questions directly, refused to share personal information, was easily distracted, and things similar to that nature. As the sessions went on, though, less helpful information was written down. There were even a few doodles, such as a heart with "Joker + Harley" written in it and Batman hanging from a noose. They were slightly disturbing. As she reached the files from the last few sessions, there was nothing written down besides scribbles of nonsense and a few more doodles.

Winona sighed and placed all the papers back in the folder. It was sad, what happened to Dr. Quinzel. She was a very promising intern in Dr. Holland's opinion. She wouldn't let the Joker get to her like he did Harleen.

That reminded her to look at the clock. It was already 7:50. She figured she could watch his arrival. After all, she was his _doctor_. She grinned at that thought and departed her office, heading towards the patients' entrance.

Everyone was crowded around the doors. Apparently, news had traveled quickly around the asylum because people were either giving Winona either dirty looks or pitiful ones. She pushed her way to the front, swiftly moving in between people.

They waited for probably about 5 minutes, but it seemed like hours. Several orderlies started pushing the crowd back, making room so the patient and guards could enter.

Two guards walked in first. They had their hands on their guns, looking very nervous. Dr. Holland peered behind them and froze completely. She caught a glimpse of green hair. The guards carrying the stretcher backed in cautiously. The Joker was strapped down by his torso, neck, arms, legs, and basically any place that could further restrict his movements.

The guards formed a perimeter around him, but there were still spaces in between them that allowed a view of the Joker. His head lolled to the side; he was definitely drugged out of his mind. His clouded eyes met Dr. Holland's for a few seconds. Things seemed to slow down as his mouth turned up at the corners. Dr. Holland was reminded of a lion, baring its teeth to scare its prey. Then she realized he was grinning. He started laughing hysterically, looking up to the ceiling. His laughter filled the room, causing a few people to shiver visibly. Dr. Holland let out a shaky breath, feeling dread overcome her for a few seconds.

More guards followed after the ones carrying the stretcher, along with Dr. Arkham and… Batman?

Batman was in Arkham. He was in the same building- no- the same _room_ as Winona. She couldn't help but feel a bit starstruck. He passed her, looking straight ahead, and she thought she might burst into a fit of giggles. _I suppose he's being admitted to Arkham as well, then? _ she joked to herself, half smiling.

Eventually the lobby started to clear out. There was still a bit of panic among the workers, trying to sort through paperwork and re-organize their schedules, but mostly everyone was glad that it was over with.

Winona was paged a moment later to go to the patient processing center. She rushed through the hallways, running a hand through her hair in a stressed manner.

She reached the PPC in record time, trying to enter while flashing her badge to security. They stopped her immediately, grabbing her shoulder.

"Ma'am, you aren't permitted to be in here right now," a beefy guard told her.

"I was just paged by Dr. Arkham to-"

"Save it lady, you can't see the freakshow right now," the second guard cut her off rudely.

"Cash, Boles, let her through. She's patient 4479's doctor," Dr. Arkham cut in, making a signal at Dr. Holland to come through. She gave a triumphant look at the two orderlies and passed them, walking to Dr. Arkham. He gave her a new card with her name, photo, and special barcode on it.

"I apologize for that, Dr. Holland. I forgot to give you this pass earlier. It allows you anywhere in the building. Well, the places you'll _need_ to be." Winona accepted the card, placing it in the chest pocket of her lab coat.

"Thank you, Dr. Arkham," she said politely, glancing around the room while doing so. She spotted the Joker being wheeled back into the room they were currently in. He seemed less hazy than before; perhaps the drugs were wearing off. The Batman was following behind, keeping close watch.

They were heading to the medical center, probably to address the injuries that he'd received from Batman before he was caught. Dr. Arkham told Winona to follow him, and she did so, entering the medical center with the others.

A nurse approached the Joker, her fear obvious on her face. She had a syringe in one hand and the other was going towards the binds on the Joker's arm. She undid one of them on his wrist slowly, watching to make sure he wouldn't make a move. He just stared at her, a hint of a smile on his painted face. She continued to the strap on his forearm and did the same thing, watching him very carefully. As soon as she grew a bit more comfortable and undid the third strap, the Joker's arm went up and he gripped her neck.

The nurse's scream was cut off and immediately turned to choked noises. The syringe in her other hand smashed on the floor, and the orderlies around them shouted at each other to get another one. Batman pulled something out of his belt in seconds and injected it into the Joker's arm. His grip loosened a bit, but he desperately grasped onto consciousness. The orderlies gave him a smaller second dosage, and his grip finally slipped as his arm slammed back down. He was giggling uncontrollably, only subsiding when he became unconscious. The nurse was on the floor having a coughing fit and Batman pulled her up easily.

Dr. Holland had stood there watching the entire display in silent panic. She glanced at Dr. Arkham to find him looking at her calmly.

"Are you sure you're ready for this position, Dr. Holland?" he asked her slowly.

Winona glanced back at the unconscious patient, then straight into Dr. Arkham's eyes.

"Of course."


	2. First Session

Winona stood outside of the maximum security wing, wringing her hands unconsciously. Under one arm she held the Joker's file, which she had nearly memorized in preparation. In the other arm, there was her dull-pointed pen, a mini recorder, and blank papers, waiting to be filled with information on her newest patient. She felt a little smile tug at her lips, but suppressed it when she noticed Dr. Arkham and an orderly marching towards her.

"Good morning, Dr. Holland. I have Officer Cash here to escort you to your session. Are you ready?" Dr. Arkham asked her, his expression solemn.

Winona glanced at Cash, who smiled reassuringly at her, then back at Dr. Arkham. "Yes, Dr. Arkham," she confirmed, her voice stronger than she expected.

"Good. Now, I will accompany you on the way as well, but you will be doing the session on your own. Let us proceed." Dr. Arkham and Officer Cash entered maximum security, and Winona strode quickly to keep up. Dr. Arkham started giving her advice and instruction on the patient.

"You have your dull pointed pen?"

Dr. Holland nodded.

"And you have no staples, jewelry, or anything that can be fashioned into a weapon, correct?"

"That _is _correct," she replied confidently.

They soon reached the designated point that only allowed Officer Cash and Dr. Holland. Dr. Arkham stopped her.

"Dr. Holland, one last thing," Dr. Arkham uttered.

Winona looked at him, giving him her unwavering attention.

"It is of the utmost importance that you do not forget who he is. You must remember he is your _patient_, and nothing more. You can't trust him with anything. Don't approach him. No personal information _whatsoever_. Believe me, Dr. Holland; you don't want this guy inside your head."

_He makes it sound like this is The Silence of the Lambs or something_, Winona thought a bit nervously. _God, is he really that bad? _

"Do you understand what I am telling you?" Dr. Arkham asked her, staring her directly in the eyes.

"Yes, Dr. Arkham. I understand," Dr. Holland said hurriedly.

Dr. Arkham smiled a bit, patting her on the shoulder. "Good luck," he called as he walked back to where he came from.

"Ready to go, doc?" Cash asked her with a smile.

Dr. Holland snapped out of her thoughts quickly, smiling back politely.

"Yeah, let's get to it."

**TDKTDKTDKTDKTDK**

Dr. Holland and Officer Cash arrived far too quickly to the evaluation room. They had to pass through several security clearances, but that seemed to fly by. Now, they stood outside the door, with Winona wiping her sweaty palms on her pants every few seconds, looking at the door nervously.

"You gonna back out now, Dr. Holland?" Cash asked amusedly.

Winona let out a shaky laugh, looking up at Cash's friendly face. "No, no… I'm just a bit nervous, is all."

"Don't worry, doc, we got all the safety precautions we could. There's a button under the table that alerts security if anything goes wrong, and there's a camera in the right corner of the room. You're safe and sound in there," Cash said reassuringly. Winona gave him a nervous smile as a silent thank you and turned to the door.

She approached it slowly, as if it might attack her if she moved too fast. She glanced back one more time while gripping the handle, just to see a pleasant face one last time. She took a deep breath, turned back, and entered the room.

Dr. Holland shut the door behind her, turning around slowly.

The Joker was staring at her, his expression amused. They had washed the face paint off of him again, making him look slightly more normal. Winona could see that he was sizing her up, as she was him. He looked her up and down, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Soo," he began, licking his lips habitually. "I see they sent me another **blonde**." His little smile turned into a full blown grin. "Hopefully you're a natural, unlike the, uh, previou**s** one." He gave her a knowing little look.

Dr. Holland made an effort to stay indifferent to his comments. She pulled her chair out, sitting down without breaking eye contact.

She pressed a button on her recorder, setting it down on the table.

"Doctor Winona Holland supervising patient 4479-"

"_Winona_, huh? No, no, no, no, **that **won't do. I think I'll call you… _Winnie_," the Joker said, cutting her off. Winona stared him down for a few seconds.

"I'd like to ask that you would not interrupt me, and that you would call me _Dr. Holland, _please." She couldn't stop herself from adding "please" at the end; her politeness got the better of her. The Joker giggled a bit, his features seemingly drowning in amusement at her every move.

"Oooh, aren't _we_ polite?" he teased. He leaned forward, looking her in the eyes. "You know, good manners won't get you **anywhere **with me, _doc._"

Winona smiled a bit. "And, may I ask, what _will_ get me somewhere with you?"

"You're gonna have to, uh, figure tha**t** one out yourself," Joker uttered darkly.

There was a beat of silence. Dr. Holland tried thinking of what to say. _Start with the basics! _her thoughts yelled at her. _Name, age, anything!_

"Is there something I can call you during these sessions? Because I am required to call you either patient 4479 or 'John Doe' if you do not give me a name."

He gave her an incredulous look. "And what, exactly, is wrong with 'Joker'?"

"'Joker' was not your given name. It is a strictly enforced rule by Dr. Arkham that we are not to call patients by their aliases, only their given names."

The Joker raised his eyebrows. "Hm."

Dr. Holland sighed. "'John Doe' it is, then." She started to write that down, but he stopped her.

"A-ta-ta-ta! I'm _thinking_," he said impatiently. Winona raised her eyebrows a bit, but said nothing as she waited.

He made a sort of "a-ha!" noise in his throat, leaning towards her. "You can call me… _Joseph Kerr._"

Winona stared at him. "That's your name? Joseph Kerr?"

"Mm-hm," he confirmed, his mouth forming a smirk.

"Alright, Joseph. Can I call you Joe?" She looked up at him, seeing his face scrunched up in laughter. _What's he smiling at?_ She wondered, her brows creasing. _Wait a minute… Jospeh Kerr. Joe Kerr. Joker._

Winona couldn't hold back her amused smile. "That's very clever, _Joe_."

His smile disappeared. He stared at her with hooded eyes.

"You know what I think of you, Winnie?"

She shrugged. "Nope. How about you enlighten me?"

The Joker leaned forward, only inches away from her face. "You're _boring_. Now, that Harleen, _she_ was interesting. At least she, uh, **understood** where I was coming from. You, on the other hand, you just have no _personality_. You're too _professional._ Tell me, Winnie, when's the last time you had a friend over?"

Winona grew flustered, attempting to answer but just ended up just looking like a gaping fish.

"Who was the last person to call you- besides your mother?"

She swallowed, clenching her fists.

"You haven't been on a date in a while, have you?"

"Stop," she muttered weakly. _God, how is he so __**right**__?_

"Let me guess: you've been using the, uh, excuse that you're 'focusing on your work right now'?" he said, a smile appearing on his face. He knew he was getting to her. "Your life has been a sad combination of all work and no play. Oh, but maybe if you treat someone like the _infamous Joker_ then you'll gain _appreciation_ and _respect _from your fellow coworkers. Let me tell you something, Winnie. You don't gain respect by waiting for something to happen. You gain respect through your **actions**. Just like I gained it, by everything I've been through with _Gotham_," he explained.

"You didn't gain respect. You gained people's _fear_ of you. Those are two completely different things," Winona said heatedly, gaining some strength back.

"They **are** different, Winnie. But that doesn't mean they aren't _related_ in any way."

Winona crossed her arms, trying to get the better of her anger. "And how are they related?"

The Joker smirked. "Respect **has** to involve fear. You can't **truly** respect someone without feeling at least a little bit like they could have the **potential** to harm you. Fear is just a, uh, **purer** form of respect, so to speak. It's the sense of knowing that **danger **is around, and being apprehensive of it. Of knowing not to **mess** with it," he growled the last part menacingly.

Dr. Holland glanced at her watch, ignoring the obvious threat in his words. "Our session is just about finished." She reached over for her recorder.

"Hey, uh, Winnie?" the Joker asked just before she pressed the STOP button.

"Yes, Joe?" she asked automatically.

"I have one **last** question for you." She nodded at him, getting him to continue.

"Have you ever had a near-death experience?"

Winona stared at him, bewildered.

"Uhh, I-"

Before she could answer, the Joker jumped across the table, his arms out of his straitjacket. Winona screamed, getting knocked to the ground. The Joker started choking her, laughing hysterically. Dr. Holland flashed back to the day before, when the same thing happened to that poor nurse. She struggled to reach the button on the underside of the table, finally pushing it with the tip of her finger. Several guards rushed in, pulling the Joker off of her.

Winona was hoisted to her feet by one of them, being pulled out of the room. The Joker was still laughing, watching her exit.

"I'll catch ya later, _Winnie!_" he called through his mirth, winking at her before she was forced into the hall.


	3. Murder is Murder

**A/N: I'd just like to thank all of my readers for your great feedback. Every time I get an email about a favorite or story alert or review I can't help but smile. Oh, and **_**italics **_**are either Winona's thoughts or a flashback. Just clarifying. Anyway, without further ado, the next chapter!**

The large bruises on Dr. Holland's neck were starting to fade by her next session with the Joker.

They were going to continue meeting once a week, despite Dr. Arkham's suggestion to meet bi-weekly instead. Winona had to argue with him for twenty minutes before he gave in to let the sessions continue normally. He'd suggested she start seeing a therapist to "help deal with the stress", but she blatantly refused. She would not be viewed as someone who couldn't handle one measly session with the Joker.

No, she wanted to prove that she could handle her own job.

Which she had no trouble doing.

At all.

The same routine of going with Cash to see the Joker occurred once again. Instead of being brought to the evaluation room, however, Winona was brought to the Joker's cell. Since they were in the maximum security wing, the wall was made of Plexiglas. Cash brought a chair for her, giving her a worried look.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you this time?"

Winona shook her head. "There's no need, Officer Cash. I can handle myself."

He gave her a skeptical look, then shrugged a bit.

"Alright, if you need me, just yell. I'll be right there at the end of the hall, and another guard is at the other end. Don't hesitate for a minute." He marched off to the end of the hallway and Winona watched him disappear around the corner. She looked back to the Joker, who was smiling at her.

"Hellooooo Winnie. It's good to see you again."

Dr. Holland regarded him coldly, once again pulling out her recorder.

"Dr. Winona Holland supervising patient 4479. Being the second session, little progress has been made-"

"_Progress_? And what exactly is _progressing_ here, doc?"

Winona looked up at him, staring him straight in the eyes. "The rehabilitation of your mental health," she answered plainly. "The asylum's goal is to help you cope with your illness and become a valuable and productive member of society."

"So, what you're sayin**g** is, you're going to… _cure_ me and send me back into the flow of **morons **doing things they consider 'productive?'"

The corners of Winona's mouth went up a little, something that didn't go unnoticed by the Joker, but she did not respond right away so he continued.

"Why in the _world_ would I want tha**t**?" he asked, giving her a truly bewildered look, like the idea of being normal was ludicrous. "I happen to **like **it here. I get free food, a nice, big room, and the people that work here are just as crazy as I am!" He burst into hysterical laughter, almost falling off of his cot.

Winona started writing on her clipboard, and was interrupted as the Joker said gruffly, "Hey!" and slammed his hand on the cell wall. Dr. Holland jumped a bit, startled.

"Say, uh, _Winnie_, you don't seem to be yourself today. Anything wron**g**?" he asked her, staring at her intently.

"Not at all, Joe," Winona replied, her face a mask of indifference.

"Don't lie to me, Winnie," the Joker said in a bright tone. His eyes were filled with menace, though, deceiving him. "I can see right through you. I can see the _fear_ in your eyes every time they meet mine. I can see _every single emotion_ that flashes across your face and through your little mas**k**. There isn't anyone I can't read, and you are definitely not an exception."

Winona, chilled by his words, shifted in her seat slightly. The Joker smiled in satisfaction.

"Now," he began in a deeper, rougher voice, "tell me what you are feeling."

She looked into his eyes, silently exhaling. "I…" she began, swallowing. _This is _unprofessional_, Winona! You're not supposed to tell him anything! Don't give in!_ her inner voice practically screamed at her. She almost stopped, but the look in his eyes forced her to continue.

"I feel… fear. But I guess you already knew that," she said nervously.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Tell me _exactly why_ you fear me," he demanded, his face completely void of emotion.

"Well… you're dangerous. I mean, you nearly killed me during our last session. And…you've killed a lot of people and…" She struggled to think of another reason. She looked back up at him. "I guess that's it," she finished lamely.

The Joker pursed his lips. "Now, doc, explain something to me. Why is it you're only afraid of _me_ for these reasons?"

"What do you mean?" Dr. Holland asked, genuinely confused.

"You need to understand something about _people_, Winnie. Everyone that you know is dangerous. Every person you _don't_ know is dangerous. People all have the potential to hurt you, doc. You shouldn't be scared of one person just because they actually followed through with what other people consider doing every single day."

Winona sighed. "I'm aware that everyone has the potential to do something bad, Joe, but the difference is that not everyone will do it. _Most_ people live their entire lives without doing what you do. Just because they may have considered doing it before doesn't justify actually taking another person's life."

"Ahh, but haven't people tried to justify it? What about self defense?" Joker challenged.

"That's different," Winona defended quickly, flustered.

"How? Either way, somebody dies in the end. Murder is murder, isn't it?"

Winona swallowed uncomfortably. The Joker noticed this. A look of understanding passed over his face.

"Ooh, has our favorite doctor done something _naughty_ before? Hmm?" he mocked.

Winona stood abruptly, stopping her recorder. "It's time for me to go. I'll see you next week, Joe." She started striding away as quickly as she could.

"You'll have to tell me about that sometime!" she heard the Joker exclaim, his giggles bouncing around the hallways of Arkham.


	4. Kudos

**A/N: Sorry I took so long to update! It was my sister's birthday, and then my power was out for quite a while. I'm also very lazy, so some blame can be put on me. Alright, that's all I had to say… Enjoy!**

Winona cleared out of her office for the day, still feeling a bit vulnerable after her latest session. She knew she wouldn't be getting any sleep that night, because as soon as she'd walked out of the maximum security wing, the Joker's words began to eat away at her. She hated feelings this way; weak and mentally violated. She especially felt idiotic when she remembered that the Joker now knew about a major event in her past; the event that plagued her with guilt every time it passed through her mind.

People didn't seem to understand how she could feel guilty about what she did, but they didn't know what she felt every day. They had no idea what it felt to wake up in the morning knowing that you took someone's life, to desperately try and fail to forget one instant in your life, to snap out of nightmares of the person whose life you ended in a simple pull of a trigger…

Winona snapped out of her reverie, remembering what her mother had said about that kind of thinking: "Don't dwell on it for too long, honey. It'll eat you up inside."

Glancing at her watch, she walked more quickly in her hurry to get to a taxi and get home. It would be getting dark soon, and she wasn't going to be so stupid as to walk around Gotham past dark.

The frazzled doctor made it home in record time, leaning on her door after she shut it. She was relieved to finally have some time to relax. Until her phone rang.

Grunting in aggravation, Winona trudged to the other side of her apartment to answer it. She passed by the balcony's glass doors, hardly giving them a glance. She was reaching for the phone when a voice startled her, causing her to whirl around quickly.

"Doctor Holland."

Batman stood in front of the now open balcony doors, his cape billowing around him from Gotham's chilly breeze coming into her apartment. Winona leaned against the wall for support and waited for the phone to stop ringing before she responded with anything.

She didn't get a chance to respond, however, because Batman spoke again the second she opened her mouth.

"I've listened to the tapes of your sessions with the Joker. They're worrying."

Winona felt a bit offended at that comment. She responded with the first thing that popped into her head. "T-those are Arkham property."

"I think you're beginning to forget who he is, Doctor. If Dr. Arkham ever listens to them, he'll have you off the project."

Winona's eyes widened. Hadn't she kept the sessions professional? What was wrong with them?

"I can't lose this," she said in a voice that sounded pathetic, even to her. She stared at her shoes, muttering, "I won't end up like _her_, I'm stronger than that. I-"

"I'm only looking out for your safety. No one wants to see that happen again. Just remember who he is."

Winona cut him off before he could continue. "I've heard it all before, all right! I'll be _fine!_"she snapped, looking back up to see that he had gone. Her curtains blew inside eerily and she shut and locked them hurriedly.

"Time for bed," she muttered bitterly, stalking off to her room. She'd prove that she could handle this job. She _would_.

**TDKTDKTDKTDKTDK**

_I stand next to my bed, leaning against my bedside table for support. My breath comes in short, quiet pants and I try to focus on where the heavy footsteps are in the apartment. They're slowly coming in my direction and all I can do is wait._

_I want to close my eyes, but I can't. It's like being forced to watch the scary part in a movie but without the reassurance that it's all fictional. I'm trapped in this extremely long, horrifying moment. _

_The footsteps are right outside my door now. I reach behind me and pull out the drawer of my bedside table. I blindly move my hand around in it, searching for my one and only weapon in my apartment: my shotgun._

_My hand grips the cool metal and I pull it out quickly, making a clattering noise as I do so. If he had any doubts of me being in the bedroom, they're certainly gone now. _

_Suddenly, the door is kicked in. I shriek, startled, and back up against the wall, farther away from _**him**.

"_I missed you, baby."_

Winona's eyes opened slowly and she began to become aware of where she actually was at an equal speed. She was drenched in cold sweat, making her hair and clothes stick to her body. She noticed that she was still in her work clothes from earlier. _What time is it anyway?_ she wondered groggily. She glanced up at the clock. 3:07 AM. She sighed shakily and got up, stripping off her clothing one by one and throwing it all in the hamper.

"I'm takin' today off," she muttered to herself, climbing into the shower. She spent an extra 5 minutes just to stand in there and feel welcomed by the warm water pelting her skin.

When she finally came out, she was ready to go back to sleep. She wiped her face dry quickly and was about to return to bed until she noticed what was on her bathroom sink.

It was a shotgun with a sticky note that read: "GrEAt JoB WInNie! :-)"

She changed her mind. She wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.


	5. No Heroes

Winona ended up going to work that day. She _needed_ to speak to the Joker. She needed to know why he put that in her apartment.

_You already know why_, her thoughts told her, _He knows _everything_ about you._ She ignored herself, dressing in a hurry. She would be there early, but she was too panicked to care.

The night guards were still there when she arrived. She politely said hello and rushed down to the maximum security ward. Her flats made little noise in the echoing hallway as she scurried down to the last room; _his _room.

She slowed down when she saw his figure behind the glass, sitting on his mattress, _waiting _for her. She felt her nerve start to slip away, but she couldn't back down now. No, it was far too late to back down.

"I knew you'd come," he said smugly, a tiny smile gracing his lips. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist, after you got my _gift._"

"Why did you leave that gun in my apartment?" Winona demanded fearfully. "And what did that note mean? 'Great job Winnie'?"

"Oh _Winnie_. I was congratulating you on that time you, ah, _shot_ the man you were betrothed to," Joker said in a mocking tone.

"You don't know the half of it!" Winona shouted, finally losing control.

"Don't I?" the Joker asked, grinning. "I know that he **hit** you. He beat you to a pulp almost every day, but you forgave him because he _loved_ you, didn't you Winnie? It was always your _fault; _you _deserved_ it. But there was one time that he went too far, right? You never thought he would hurt you _too_ badly-"

"_Shut up!"_ Winona shouted, slamming her hand on the glass. The Joker just laughed shrilly, raising his voice above hers. "Oh, but he went off the deep end! He tried to _kill you_. That was just un-for-givable! So you left. But that wasn't enough, oh, no, no, no. He **found** you… tried to finish the job. So, in an act of _self defense_, you **shot** him and **killed** him," he summarized, gazing at her intently. She had a faraway look to her now, as if she was in another place.

And in her mind, she was.

"_I missed you, baby."_

_I feel my lip start to tremble and I tighten my grip on the gun in my hand._

"_L-leave me alone, Daniel_," _I demand, my voice sounding weak to my own ears. He notices, too, and gives me a look of pity. It's a lie. All he does is lie to me._

"_C'mon, Winnie, you know I can't do that. I love you too much," he says softly, taking a step towards me._

"_Don't fucking move!" I shout, pointing the gun at him._

_Daniel's eyes widen a bit, but he quickly regains his composure. He has a dangerous look in his eyes as he watches me cautiously. _

"_You don't want to do that, Winona," he states in a forcibly calm tone. _

"_Why not?" I ask hysterically. "All you've done is hurt me! I should just return the fucking favor!" I'm shaking now, but I'm not sure if it's from fear or pure rage. Daniel finally stops with his falsely calm demeanor and gets angry._

"_Drop the fucking gun, you little bitch!" he practically roars._

"_MAKE ME!" I scream back. I'm not going to let him hurt me again. I promised myself._

_Daniel's eyes are blazing and he makes a move, swiftly pulling out a knife. I panic, and a shot rings through the air. The few seconds that he is still standing are the longest few seconds I have ever felt. The eyes that had once looked at me with love are now wide with shock and hatred, until all life drains out of them and his body hits the ground with a loud _thump_._

_I've just killed my fiancée. _

The Joker smirked victoriously when he saw that Winona's eyes had pooled with tears. She looked up at him viciously.

"Ooh, if looks could _kill, _doc," he says sarcastically. Winona stepped closer to the glass, closer to _him_. They were mere inches apart, the glass being their only barrier.

"You are _not_ going to guilt me for that," she spat. "I did what I had to that day. I couldn't wait for a hero to come along; I had to be one _myself_."

The Joker turned serious, which was never a good sign.

"Winnie, you never see the big picture. You can't have a hero when _everyone_ is a villain."

Winona stayed silent, grinding her teeth. She didn't want to satisfy him with a response. He took that as a cue to continue on.

"You rely too much on the hope that all people have some _good_ in them. You think that, uh, _everyone_ has the potential to be a hero. But that's where you're **wrong.**"

There was a beat of silence until he spoke again.

"That _reminds_ me, Winnie… Do you wanna know how I got these scars?"


	6. The End

Winona stared at the Joker, her eyes flickering to his scars. Her curiosity peaked while looking at them with her blurry, tear-filled eyes, and she found herself nodding slowly. She looked back into his eyes, and he smiled a little. He took a step closer to the glass.

"Y'see, when I was a kid, I loved _fairytales. _I knew it was a little **girly**_**,**_ but I didn't care. Not one bi**t**. I was, uh, _obsessed_ with the idea of being a **knight** in shining armor, waiting for a pretty girl to save. I was a _chivalrous_ little guy. Anyways, my mother got a bit, uh, **fed up** with all my talk of 'being a hero' and 'living happily ever after.' She was a little… off her rocker," he said, chuckling. "One night, she came up to me, a big 'ole smile on her face. 'You want a happy ending, Jackie-boy?' she asked me. 'C'mere and I'll make sure you stay happy _forever_.' Then she did this," -he traced his scars- "to me. And I waited for someone, anyone, to come and _save _me. I was so, uh, _sure _that someone would be my hero that day.

"Un-for-tun-ate-ly, no one showed u**p**. I wasn't even able to save myself. So that, _Doctor Holland_, was the day I **gave** **up **on heroes. Just like how you're going to, someday. Oh, and I'll be there when you do," he concluded darkly.

Doctor Holland watched the Joker in awe and horror. She had no idea whether the story was true or not, but he told it with such _passion_ and _remembrance_, it was hard not to believe it. She swallowed thickly, backing away from the glass.

"What's the matter _doc_? **Scared**?" the Joker mocked. She turned from him, walking swiftly down the hall. _I can't do this anymore. I'm just going to go to Dr. Arkham's office and tell him I can't handle it. _

"Winnie, one last thing!" Dr. Holland slowed a little to catch his last words. "Look out behind you!" he cackled, barely able to breathe. Winona raised an eyebrow and turned around, only to be knocked down by an approaching night guard. Her head grew fuzzy and she passed out in seconds.

**TDKTDKTDKTDKTDK**

Winona's eyes opened slowly, her world still spinning. She studied her surroundings, seeing nothing but a white blur at first. When it refocused, she realized she was in the shower of the Joker's cell. She moved to get up, but was restricted by her wrist handcuffed to the knob of the shower. She tugged desperately, her eyes widening. _This is not happening, this is _not _happening!_

She tried to calm herself down a little, but failed miserably. She couldn't take it anymore. She started screaming.

"_Help!_ Somebody- _please!_ _Let me out!_" Winona shrieked, nearing her breaking point. She tried to yank her arm out of the handcuffs uselessly, tears building up in her eyes. Her breath hitched when she saw the Joker enter the small, sectioned off part of the cell she was in. She started to feel ill.

"Winnie, you gotta learn to be _considerate_. People are **trying** to sleep!" he whispered forcefully. He took a step towards her and she cowered away, scooting backwards into the shower wall.

He grinned knowingly. "Ahh, not so _brave_ when there's no glass wall to protec**t** you, right Winnie?"

He took another menacing step towards her in an agonizingly slow manner. She tugged at the handcuffs again, whimpering. He continued to come closer.

"_Stay away from me!_" she yelled, her voice high pitched from stress. He giggled manically.

"What are you gonna do, _shoot me_?" he ridiculed dryly. Winona couldn't control her fear of the man now directly in front of her. She felt tears escape her eyes and she started crying softly. The Joker frowned dramatically.

"Aww, poor Winnie. Have you finally realized that **no one** will come to save you?" He lifted her chin, making her look up at him. She tried turning her head, sobbing. He grabbed both sides of her face forcefully. She met his eyes fearfully as he started wiping away some of her tears with his thumbs.

"Winnie, haven't you read the fairy tales? This isn't how it's supposed to end; no, no, **no!** They're supposed to live **happily. Ever. After."** He wiped away the fresh tears that spilled down her cheeks, grinning. "Well, I suppose that's not true in your case," he murmured, pulling out a knife.

"No, no," Winona pleaded through her sobs. "Pl-please, just let me go, please, I'll, I'll give up the case, I w-won't tell anyone, just _please don't kill me_!"

The Joker stuck the knife in her mouth, watching her cry harder. This whole situation was sort of…

Funny.

He started giggling. His giggles soon turned into manic laughter and he sliced up into Winona Holland's cheek, carving a lovely smile into her face. Her shrieks rang out through the room, but no one paid them any mind. Joker continued with the other side, even as she had fallen unconscious by now. Blood sprayed onto his face and clothes, but he barely noticed. He'd stopped laughing by now, and he stood up, watching dear Winnie start to fade away.

He smirked, skipping to the door, murmuring, "The end."

**A/N: I know this ending was **_**very**_**abrupt, and I did that purposely. However, I tried to make it unclear on whether or not Winona Holland is dead. I'm leaving this open for a sequel, and I'll make my decision if I get some support from my readers. And if not, I'll just leave it to your imagination. Thanks so much for reading!**


End file.
